Dr Gerard Nijman

How Dr Gerard Nijman de-mystified the ‘black magic’ of tyre engineering.

In the high-stakes, multi-billion-dollar world of automotive engineering, where the screeching captures the headlines, Dr Gerard Nijman focuses on the quiet, molecular drama happening just inches from the asphalt. To the uninitiated, a tyre is a simple black circle of rubber. To Nijman, it is a visco-elastic masterpiece, a complex soup of polymers, fillers and oils that behaves according to laws of physics that many in the industry once dismissed as ‘black magic’.

Recently, the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society announced Dr Nijman as the recipient of the Fernley H. Banbury Award. It is one of the highest honours in the field, a recognition of a lifetime spent bridging the gap between the ‘black magic’ of the factory floor and the cold precision of laboratory rheology.

Now, two months after it was announced, I feel proud of being awarded and it is an acknowledgement of my contributions to rubber processing,” Dr Nijman says, reflecting on a career that has spanned nearly four decades. “However, if I consider the enormous lineup of previous winners, I still cannot realise that I am a part of it... I am probably still too humble to really enjoy it.”

THE FRIDAY EVENING CALL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

Dr Nijman’s journey into the world of elastomers didn’t begin with a lifelong passion for tyres, but rather with a fortuitous interruption. In 1987, he was deep into a PhD project focusing on molecular orientation in injection-moulded products. His trajectory seemed set for a traditional academic or specialised research path until a Friday evening phone call changed his life.

The caller was the P&O Manager of Vredestein, the Dutch tyre manufacturer. He was looking for a process engineer, specifically someone who understood the complexities of extrusion. For Dr Nijman, it was an opportunity to apply his theoretical knowledge to a massive industrial scale without abandoning his roots.

“For this position, I did not really have to leave my comfort zone, so I decided to join Vredestein on a 50 percent basis while I completed my PhD project,” Dr Nijman recalls. At the time, the industry’s understanding of material flow was rudimentary. The ‘gold standard’ was the Mooney viscosity test – a simple measurement that Nijman knew was insufficient for the high-speed, high-heat world of modern manufacturing.

“I was fascinated by rheology and especially how the material morphology was related to the processing behaviour. At Vredestein, the common understanding of Rheology was ‘Mooney viscosity’, but somehow, I could make them clear that understanding processing means that one must understand the (thermo-)rheological behaviour and morphological characteristics of rubber compound in much more detail,” he says.

SEEING THROUGH ‘SCIENTIFIC GLASSES’

Dr Nijman attributes much of his success to a trio of mentors who helped him synthesise his disparate skills. His PhD supervisor, Prof Ingen Housz, taught him the fundamental skill of ‘looking at industrial processes through scientific glasses’. It was this ability to analyse a complex, messy industrial problem until the root cause was exposed that set Dr Nijman apart.

At Vredestein, his first boss, Albert Dijks, built his confidence by handing him immense responsibility early on. Meanwhile, Kees Hettema taught him the art of the deal – how to negotiate with customers – and Matthias Sieverding of KraussMaffei Berstorff eventually gave him the reins to lead an entire business unit.

“What I learned from all of them is that, while believing in what you are doing, you should not be afraid of answering difficult questions from your stakeholders,” Dr Nijman notes. This philosophy allowed him to navigate the friction that often exists when a scientist tries to tell a factory veteran that their decades-old ‘gut feeling’ might be wrong.

BREAKING THE SPELL OF ‘BLACK MAGIC’

In the 1980s and 90s, rubber manufacturing was often viewed as more art than science. When a production line ran into trouble, solutions were often found through trial and error. “Suddenly, problems were solved without really knowing why,” Dr Nijman explains. “It was commonly called ‘black magic’.”

Dr Nijman became one of the first engineers to replace that magic with math. He realised that the complex technological hurdles of the industry – irregular shrinkage, surface defects and inconsistent quality – could be solved through a rigorous rheological approach.

His most transformative moment came during the ‘Green Tyre’ revolution of the early 90s. Michelin had just introduced silica-based compounds, which offered lower rolling resistance and better wet grip. While industry giants like Goodyear were still scrambling to adapt, the smaller Vredestein successfully implemented the technology.

The secret weapon was Nijman’s understanding of the microstructure. He recognised that silica compounds were a different beast entirely from the traditional carbon black mixtures. “We looked at the compounds’ processing behaviour by looking to the degree of freedom of the rubber molecules moving around in their microstructure,” he says.

By understanding how silica hindered or helped the ‘relaxation’ of rubber molecules after extrusion, Dr Nijman was able to control ‘extrudate swell’ – the tendency of rubber to expand like a sponge after being squeezed through a die. Without this scientific insight, manufacturers faced uncontrolled shrinkage, leading to tyres that simply didn’t fit the rim.

THE PORSCHE 911 CHALLENGE: WHEN THEORY MEETS THE ROAD

Perhaps the most gruelling test of Dr Nijman’s career wasn’t a tyre at all, but a piece of high-performance aerodynamics: the active front spoiler for the Porsche 911 Turbo. This rubber lip had to deploy at high speeds via air bellows and retract perfectly through its own elasticity once the car slowed down.

The stakes were astronomical. Porsche demanded ‘A1 surface quality’ – meaning the rubber had to be absolutely flawless, with zero visual defects and uncompromised functionality, all while meeting the strict Start of Production (SOP) deadlines of one of the world’s most iconic cars.

“Naming it a challenge was an understatement,” Dr Nijman admits. The project required a total immersion in the material’s behaviour. Dr Nijman describes his method as almost meditative: “I try to be part of the microstructure of the rubber compound on its way from rubber slab to the shape in which it is conveyed. Then I am able to ‘observe’ my surrounding and to ‘see’ what happens with the rubber molecules in their world of fillers, process oils and chemicals.”

THE DIGITAL TRAP: A WARNING TO THE NEXT GENERATION

As Dr Nijman prepares to retire at the end of this year, he looks at the current state of engineering with a mix of admiration and concern. Today’s engineers have access to powerful simulations and AI that Dr Nijman could only dream of in 1987. However, he warns that these tools can be a double-edged sword.

“Engineers tend to believe the results of such simulations are true without critical interpretation,” he says. “In the world of rubber, where chemistry and physics are constantly shifting during the heat of production, a computer model can only go so far. A rubber compound behaves truly visco-elastic. This is not something you can ignore.”

He has observed a shift where younger engineers prefer to solve problems via the Human-Machine Interface (HMI) rather than walking the shop floor. To Dr Nijman, the smell of the rubber and the heat of the extruder are essential data points that a laptop cannot capture. “Both must be done to successfully solve the production problem.”

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: THE FINAL FRONTIER

Dr Nijman isn’t using his retirement to slow down; instead, he’s refocusing on the industry’s biggest challenge: sustainability. He believes the next decade of tyre technology won’t just be about grip or speed, but about energy.

“Both tyre manufacturers and extrusion line suppliers should focus more on how to save energy and how to recover heat,” he asserts. He points out a glaring blind spot in current research: while everyone wants ‘sustainable’ compounds, few are looking at reducing the viscosity of the rubber itself – the single biggest factor in how much energy a factory consumes to shape a product.

Reducing scrap and optimising heat recovery, he argues, will require a deeper cooperation between research institutes and manufacturers. “There is still a lot more to be explored scientifically,” he says.

THE LEGACY OF A ‘HUMBLE’ EXPERT

For those entering the field today, Dr Nijman’s advice is simple: love the work, or leave it. But if you stay, never stop asking ‘why’.

“Pursue to deeply understand the problem before you start solving it,” he counsels. “Rubber processing and tyre manufacturing is very exciting... especially if you love being on the shop floor and, at the same time, if you are able to continuously interpret your observations.”

As he prepares to accept the Banbury Award, Dr Nijman remains the same engineer who once spent his Friday nights thinking about molecular orientation. He has spent his career making the complex simple – so simple, in fact, that he measures his success by a unique metric.

“It helped me a lot to realise to explain very complex situations in a way that my mother-in-law would understand,” he says. “That is how I could realise breakthroughs.”

The ‘black magic’ of rubber is gone, replaced by the lifelong work of a man who decided to step out of his comfort zone and look at the world through scientific glasses. Dr Gerard Nijman didn’t just engineer tyres; he engineered a more precise, sustainable and understood future for the entire industry

The German Rubber Industry Association (wdk) has sounded an alarm over an exceptionally difficult economic situation facing the rubber sector. Soaring raw material prices and persistently high energy costs, exacerbated by the Iran war, are coinciding with weak industrial demand. wdk Chief economist Michael Berthel noted an almost unprecedented economic disparity, as raw material costs approach historical highs from 2011 and 2022 while a lack of demand prevents any offset for manufacturers.

Since the final quarter of 2025, prices for key inputs have risen sharply. Natural rubber has jumped more than 40 percent within months, while butadiene-based synthetic rubbers have increased over 30 percent. EPDM synthetic rubber, carbon black and oil-based plasticisers have all risen more than 20 percent, with some individual chemicals exceeding 40 percent cost growth in just a few weeks.

Energy prices remain a major burden, with Middle East developments fuelling market uncertainty. Risks to international transport and supply chains persist, and German rubber companies are closely watching potential impacts on raw material availability and global logistics flows.

Berthel warned that firms face mounting pressure from high costs, geopolitical instability and structural disadvantages in Germany, with no short-term relief in sight. The industry depends heavily on fair and reliable partnerships across the value chain, as processing companies alone cannot absorb the current strain. He called for fair solutions and a shared understanding of this exceptional situation.

The Rubber Board of India has confirmed the continuation of all existing central sector schemes for the 2026-27 fiscal year at unchanged rates. Financial aid for new planting will be restricted to estates utilising poly bag or root trainer plants sourced solely from Board-approved nurseries, with applicants required to submit the original purchase bill. This mandatory verification step aims to ensure quality and authenticity of planting materials used across the sector.

Support for rain guarding and spraying operations will be channelled exclusively through Rubber Producers’ Societies. These societies must include GST bills for all acquired materials when applying. The official timeline for submitting applications will be announced separately by the Board, giving producers adequate time to prepare documentation and coordinate with their respective societies before the deadline.

The Rubber Board of India has announced a temporary engagement for a young professional within its Market Promotion Division, located at the RRII campus in Puthuppally, Kottayam. The selected individual will assist with division activities and promote ‘mRube’, the electronic trading platform for natural rubber.

Candidates must hold an MBA in Marketing or Agri Business Management with computer knowledge, while skills in digital marketing, sales or market research and proficiency in English and Hindi are preferred. Applicants aged up to 30 years as of 1 May 2026, will be considered for the one-year role, which offers a consolidated monthly pay of INR 25,000.

Interested individuals should send their applications to the Deputy Director (Marketing) at the Central Laboratory Building, RRII, Rubber Board PO, Kottayam – 686009 by 19 May 2026. Shortlisted names will appear on the Rubber Board’s website with interview details, as no separate communication will be sent.

Bekaert has officially finalised its acquisition of Bridgestone’s tyre reinforcement operations in China and Thailand, after securing all necessary regulatory approvals and meeting standard closing conditions. The deal, now fully completed, marks a significant step in the Belgian company’s expansion strategy.

The transaction brings under Bekaert’s control two production facilities: Bridgestone (Shenyang) Steel Cord Co., Ltd. in China and Bridgestone Metalfa (Thailand) Co., Ltd. in Thailand. These plants specialise in manufacturing high-quality tyre cord products exclusively for Bridgestone tyres, and they will continue to supply Bridgestone under the new ownership, further deepening the longstanding partnership between the two firms.

Financially, the acquisition is expected to add roughly EUR 80 million to Bekaert’s annual consolidated sales. The EUR 60 million cash consideration for the deal was funded from the company’s available cash reserves.

Curd Vandekerckhove, CEO Rubber Reinforcement, said, “With the completion of this acquisition within our Rubber Reinforcement division, we are pleased to officially welcome the plant teams in China and Thailand to Bekaert. Our immediate focus is on a smooth transition and operational continuity while continuing to serve Bridgestone as a key strategic partner. The completion of the acquisition further strengthens the position of Bekaert in the tyre cord market, expands the global manufacturing footprint and deepens our longstanding partnership with Bridgestone. A long-term supply agreement ensures continued delivery of high-quality tyre reinforcement within a trusted supplier model.”